


it's always ourselves that we find in the sea

by jenniekimchi



Category: 2NE1, BLACKPINK (Band), YG Entertainment | YG Family, iKON (Korea Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Anger, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blind Character, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Colors, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Flowers, Fluff and Angst, Forgiveness, Hospitalization, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Piano, Rescue, Secrets, Suicide Attempt, chaeyoung is older than jennie in this but it's okay, dara is mean in this i'm sorry, jin is jisoo's dead brother, lisa has a kid before she meets chaeyoung, mom minzy, tae dumped jennie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-12 16:46:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16876515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenniekimchi/pseuds/jenniekimchi
Summary: Recently fired, homeless and single, Jennie returns back home to New Zealand, feeling the need to escape Korea for a while, to deal with the feeling of failure as she scrambles to get her life back on track. After a miscommunication with a stranger on the edge of a cliff, Jennie finds herself enamored by the strange blind woman and her passion for music, and she might be just what Jennie needs to pick herself back up.converted fic originally by lostariels





	1. Chapter 1

_You're fired._

Jennie's cheeks burned as she ducked her head down, walking through the office with a cardboard box full of her things, Mr. Yang's words still ringing in her ears. She avoided Chaelin's pitying look, staring down at her notepad, a few words scrawled down for the story she'd been working on, her favourite mug with the little chip on the rim, a few pens and a framed photo of her, Chaeyoung and their mom. Struggling to push the button for the elevator, her arms full and her shoulder weighed down by her satchel, Jennie waited for the doors to part, feeling the burning gaze of everyone in the office.

After what felt like far too long for the elevator to make the ride from the ground floor up to the top, the doors parted, and Jennie quickly climbed in, fumbling for the button for the ground floor. Just before the doors shut, she looked up, furiously blushing as she caught everyone looking at her, grateful for the quiet clattering noise as the doors blocked her from view and she began the lurching descent to the bottom floor. She couldn't help but wallow in her misery with each floor she passed, feeling angry and bitter and wrongfully treated. The story had been important, and maybe she shouldn't have gone behind Yang's back and published it herself, but he should've listened to her in the first place. Losing her job was a hard blow, she wouldn't deny it, and she had to blink back tears as she shamefully walked through the lobby of YG, feeling like a failure. All she'd ever wanted was to write the truth, and that's what she'd tried to do, and now look where it had landed her.

Standing at the bus stop, Jennie couldn't help but feel miserable, watching businessmen and women in expensive suits and dresses take breaks, or the hot dog vendor and the guy selling newspapers from the stack at his feet. None of them were unemployed. Even more embarrassing was the fact that she was holding all of her work stuff in a box, for everyone to see, a universal sign that someone had just lost their job, and Jennie could almost feel the pitying or judgmental looks shot her way, although she never actually saw anyone paying her any attention. Left alone to her misery, she waited patiently for the bus to arrive - she had nowhere else she needed to be right now - and took a seat by the window, her belongings rattling around in the box with each bump of the bus, while Jennie stared out of the dirty window, watching everyone go about their lives.

She got home to the sound of the TV drifting through the door, frowning as she fished her key out of her bag and unlocked the door, pushing it open to reveal a pile of bags near the door. Blinking in surprise when she realized that the blue duffel bag was hers, Jennie kicked the door shut behind her and walked over to the kitchen counter to set down her box of stuff.

"Tae?" she called out, taking in the apartment, which was considerably more empty than it had been when she'd left this morning. Gone were her books and framed photos, her trinkets and decorative pillows for the sofa. Left behind were the sports trophies and signed baseballs, the Xbox, and a stack of video games haphazardly lined up on her empty bookshelves.

The sound of footsteps from their screened off bedroom reached her ears, and a moment later, Taehyung was standing in the opening, one of her flannel shirts held in his hands. "What's all this?" Jennie slowly asked, gesturing vaguely around the room.

"I didn't think you'd be home until later," Taehyung slowly replied, a guilty look on his face as he stared at her. He had that lost, innocent look on his face that he always did when he was trying to shun the blame off himself, and Jennie was already drained from her confrontation with Mr. Yang at work, and the subsequent firing, and was in no mood to deal with whatever Taehyung was skirting around telling her.

"Why is all my stuff packed up?" Jennie asked, her voice dangerously low as she gave him a hard look.

Sighing, Taehyung folded the shirt in half and walked over to the sofa, sitting down and setting the shirt down beside him, wearily running a hand over his stubble. Jennie hated it, but no matter how much she tried to get him to shave, he wouldn't. He wouldn't do anything for her. She did the cooking and the laundry, even when he was unemployed and had done nothing but play video games all day, and now, even when his shift had finished, he was always hanging around the dive bar they went to. They barely even saw each other anymore, working on opposite schedules, both of them too tired to even try and make more that small talk when they got in from work, and Jennie knew what was coming. She wasn't an idiot, and just like a box of a few office belongings meant she'd been fired, she knew her packed bags by the door meant she was being dumped.

"Listen, Jennie," Taehyung started, "I know things between us aren't how you'd like them to be, and I feel that way too. It's just- it's not working out. We're both busy with our jobs-"

"Taehyung, you work in a bar," Jennie spluttered, "how busy can you really be?" She didn't tell him she'd lost her job; if this was going how she thought it would, which it clearly was, then he had no right to know about the fact that she'd been fired. She didn't want him pitying her, because she knew he'd be too much of a coward to leave her if he knew that she'd be homeless, without a means to rent a new place. "What's her name?" Jennie softly asked, too tired to even bring herself to be angry.

He let out a confused laugh, giving Jennie a shaky smile. "What?"

Closing her eyes, Jennie shook her head as she took a deep breath. "Come on, Tae. I'm not an idiot. I've been trying to fix things for months, and you haven't tried at all. This isn't just some snap decision you've made, so tell me what her name is? You wouldn't leave unless you had a reason too."

Clearing his throat slightly, he looked down at his hands, his voice quiet and cowed when he meekly replied, "her name is Joohyun."

"Joohyun," Jennie repeated, testing the name out. It was unusual - pretty - and she couldn't help but wonder what she had that Jennie didn't. Did she wear tight fitting dresses to Jennie's pastel cardigans? Maybe she didn't need to wear glasses, and she listened to rock music and drank cheap beer at the bar with him. "How long?"

"Two months," he admitted.

Walking over to him, Jennie paused for a moment, before snatching up her shirt - it was one of her favorites, the material worn and soft, in pale pink and blue - and she immediately turned around and walked over to her stuff. Hauling the blue duffel bag onto her shoulder, she bent down to try and scoop up a box, which was too heavy, and assumed that it held her missing books.

"Here, let me help you," Taehyung offered, jumping to his feet and crossing over to her. Jennie jerked out of his way, watching as he picked up the box, looking her in the eye for the first time since she'd walked into the apartment. She could see a flicker of guilt there, and yet more pity, and Jennie felt a twist of anger in her stomach.

"Don't bother. I'll send Chaeyoung over to collect it," she hoarsely replied, blinking back tears as she avoided looking at him. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of crying in front of him, so she swallowed the lump in her throat and pulled open the door, "if there's anything else, just mail it to me."

Rushing out of the apartment, struggling with the weight of her bags as she made the awkward walk down the stairs - the elevator had been out of order for a few days - Jennie left behind her home, fighting back tears with each step. It stung to be dumped by someone, especially someone like Taehyung , who, if she was being honest, had nagged her until he'd worn her down enough to say yes to a date, and it wasn't like she was devastated about it, but it wounded her ego all the same. They'd only been dating for six months, which was hardly any time at all, but when Jennie's new landlord had said that he was evicting everyone so that he could refurbish the entire building, Taehyung had asked her to move in, and it had been an easy decision. Chaeyoung hadn't been too pleased with it, and Jennie missed the fact that her sister rarely came over anymore, and she couldn't help but think that she should've trusted her sister's instincts more.

Back on the bus again, with her bags piled up in her lap, Jennie numbly stared out the window, trying to avoid looking at the couple holding hands on the other side of the aisle, or the woman in her work uniform, and the other people probably on their way home. She didn't have any of that. As another wave of tears threatened to overtake her, Jennie fished her phone out of her bag and searched through her contacts, taking a deep breath before dialing. It took a few rings before the phone was answered, and Jennie sagged slightly in relief at the sound of the warm voice.

"Jennie! Hi honey," Minzy greeted her.

"Mom, hi," Jennie replied, trying to clear her throat as she spoke. It didn't work well, and her voice cracked, making her wince slightly.

There was a short pause on the other end of the line, and Jennie closed her eyes, waiting for the probing questions. "What's wrong? Has something happened."

Drawing in a rattling breath, Jennie widened her eyes as they burned with the telltale sign of tears, trying to focus on the blue and orange flecked bus seat in front of her. "Yeah, everything's- everything's fine," Jennie told her, her voice wavering as she replied. She hesitated slightly, knowing that her adoptive mother wouldn't believe her for a second. "Uh, actually, it's- it's not. Can I come home? Just for a little while?"

"Of course, honey. You can stay as long as you'd like," Minzy soothingly replied, and Jennie let out a small sigh of relief, her eyes fluttering closed as she felt some of her worry dissipate. She could go home for a while, back to New Zealand, and pull herself back together. It'll only be for a short while, she told herself, but the knowledge that she didn't have to rush to leave was comforting, and Jennie let out a shaky breath as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Thank you," she hoarsely replied.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Minzy tentatively asked, and Jennie bit her bottom lip to stop herself from laughing. She was far from okay, but maybe not as bad as she should've felt, and as she took stock of her belongings - one faded blue duffel bag and a worn brown leather satchel - she felt a small amount of relief. She couldn't get any lower, and that was somewhat comforting as she sat on her seat, rattling along with the bus while she tried to figure out a plan.

Letting out a small sigh, Jennie grimaced, running a hand through her hair as she looked out at the slow moving stream of red brake lights, feeling almost at ease without the pressure of needing to be somewhere. "Yeah, I'll be okay, Mom," Minzy assured her.

There was another pause at the other end, and Jennie could almost hear the questions that were burning on the end of Minzy's tongue, but she was grateful when she didn't pursue them, saying goodbye instead. After sending a quick text to Chaeyoung, summarizing the situation as quickly as she could and asking her to pick her stuff up from Taehyung's, she slipped her phone back into her bag, and tilted her head back against the seat, patiently waiting for her stop.

At the airport, she paid for a one way ticket to Auckland, stowing her large bag overhead compartment, above her seat near the back, shuffling across to the window seat. The air was stale inside, from the closed windows and the lingering smell of the last load of people, and as Jennie sank down in her seat, she could smell the faint odor of spearmint gum, tobacco and cologne. It was still sunny outside, and the plane was only filled with a smattering of people when they set off down the tarmac with a lurch. The guy three rows down and on the right side of the plane was blaring his music so loud that Jennie could hear the faint thumping sound from where she was sitting, and the sound of muffled conversation more towards the front drifted towards her, so she fished some earphones out of her bag and let the soothing sound of music wash over her, blocking out everything else. With sunlight streaming in, Jennie basked in the warmth of it, like a cat stretched out on a warm patch, and thumbed through one of the worn paperbacks she had in her satchel. The spine was cracked and the pages slightly yellowed, but Jennie loved the books all the same, and had read this particular one over a dozen times before. With the faint hum of the engine and the gentle jostling of the plane, she settled down for the long ride ahead, a bottle of water and a packet of three glazed donuts on the seat beside her to help her through the trip.

By the time she got to Auckland, the sun was sinking on the horizon, and the long winding road hugging the coast gave way to an endless stretch of trees. At her stop, Jennie stepped off the bus, breathing in the heavy smell of pine from the forest of green surrounding her, laced with the faint smell of the sea. Hauling her big bag out of the airport, she set off on the winding road through the middle of the town, passing the post office, closing up for the night, and the bakery, where she smell of pastries being prepared by the bakers for tomorrow morning reached her nose, and the sound of a bunch of laughing school kids drifted towards her as they spilled out of the old diner. It always amazed her how little things changed in Auckland, and Jennie felt a sense of calmness sweep over her as she passed by familiar shopfronts, giving the old grocer a warm smile as she watched him lift a wooden crate of clementines into the shop, the little green leaves in stark contrast to the rich orange of the fruit. She'd made this walk through town hundreds of times, and it put Jennie at ease as she walked, but also filled her with a small feeling of nostalgia, which was surprisingly new to her. She wished she was the teenager who'd gone to the diner with Chaeyoung, drinking strawberry milkshakes at one of the small round tables beneath the faded red awning, checking book after book out of the small library, or going for early morning jogs along the beach. Her life didn't leave much time for those kinds of things anymore, and with a start, Jennie realized that she didn't have anything to do now. For all intents and purposes, she was exactly like that teenage girl she'd been; here she was, living back with her adoptive mother, free to read and jog as much as she wished. It only filled Jennie with a sense of failure at the fact that she was back where she'd been ten years ago.

By the time she made it to the big white house perched on the edge of the beach, she was tired, and felt more drained than ever. The reality was sinking in, that she was jobless, homeless and single, and Jennie wearily knocked on the door, filled with a bone deep tiredness and the urge to cry. Avoiding the temptation to rub her itchy eyes, she listened to the loud sound of waves crashing on the beach, trying to even out her breathing after the hike up the steep driveway, and soon enough, picked up on the sound of footsteps walking through the house.

Minzy opened the door with a warm smile and a look of mild surprise on her face, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear as she looked at Jennie, giving her a searching look for a moment, before pulling her into a tight hug. The air rushed out of Jennie, and she dropped her heavy bag and returned the hug, closing her eyes as she breathed in the smell of washing detergent clinging to Minzy's blue shirt, and the familiar perfume that she had always associated with her. "You should've called," Minzy gently sighed, giving Jennie's back a quick rub, "I would've come and picked you up."

"I needed the fresh air," Jennie told her, pulling back and looking down at her shoes, noticing the bit of mud on the toe of the left one as she fiddled with her collar.

"Why don't you take your stuff up to your room while I make us some tea?" Minzy suggested, and Jennie reached down to pick her bag back up, nodding in agreement as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

Both of them walked inside, and Jennie immediately looked up, taking in the airy house, with its white walls and wooden floors, the smell of the sea flooding in through the open windows, cutting through the smell of expensive wood and vanilla. Her shoulders dropped slightly in relief at the familiar comfort of being home. She knew this place well; she knew the bottom step creaked, and the best place to find a patch of sunlight to read in, or where Minzy hid the cookies, even though she knew that Jennie and Chaeyoung knew where they were too, and would let them steal them anyway. Walking over to the stairs, Jennie slowly plodded up each step, purposely letting the bottom one squeak, and taking in the framed photos lining the walls, first of Chaeyoung as a baby, and then as she grew older, the appearances of Jennie, easily fitting into the family of four, until Seungri suddenly disappeared from them. She missed her adoptive father almost as much as her real father, because for the short while he'd looked after her, he'd loved her like her own father had, teaching her how to skip rocks on the ocean, or helping her practice for track by dragging her out of bed at the crack of dawn to go jogging.

Pushing away her sad thoughts, she carried on to the bedroom she'd shared with Chaeyoung, pushing open the white wooden door and staring around the room. Everything was exactly as it had been when she'd last come to visit Minzy, except the sheets looked fresh and the room had been cleaned. None of the things she'd left behind had been touched, and she was grateful that Minzy had never been nosy or invasive, but as Jennie set her bag down on the end of the bed on the left, sitting down beside it, she knew that she was going to have to explain why she was here. Taking a few moments to collect herself, Jennie let her eyes wander around the room, taking in the old stack of paperbacks that she left here for visits, and the thick knitted blanket she'd made for herself when she'd taken up knitting one year, which still smelled faintly of lavender when she picked it up and buried her face in it, letting out a soft sigh, before setting it down and climbing to her feet.

She'd quickly covered the basics of what had happened, not feeling like getting into the details of it all, in case she started crying, and Minzy hadn't pried - she never did - and they'd turned to other topics while they drank their tea, made just the way Jennie liked it, with a little bit of cream and two sugars stirred in. It was such a massive relief to have someone who knew her - truly knew her - looking after her, and Jennie was almost tempted to blurt out everything that had happened, sparing no detail, but the pain of losing her job and boyfriend was still a bit too raw. It was enough to have Minzy make her a perfect cup of tea and pull a crumpled menu for the Chinese restaurant in town out of a drawer, sliding it across the scrubbed wooden table with a knowing smile as Jennie picked out her favorite dishes. When only the grounds of her tea were left, she'd emptied it out in the sink, and looked out at the pink sky through the window above it, taking in the grey rolling waves and the peachy wisps of clouds trailing across the sky, deciding that she wanted to go for a walk.

After Minzy's stern warning about wearing her coat, Jennie shrugged it on and pulled a pair of her boots out of her bag, lacing them up and stepping outside with a quick shout over her shoulder so that Minzy knew she was gone. Shoulders hunched against the cool wind that buffeted her, despite the warmth of the day earlier on, Jennie made towards the beach, leaving a trail of footprints as she picked her way across the shell strewn shoreline, stepping over seaweed and driftwood, and picking up the occasional plastic bottle that had been carelessly tossed aside. She'd always loved the sea, and she had so many memories of this beach that the briny smell and the gritty feeling of the sand beneath her feet were like old acquaintances, and stirred memories of summer. Jennie could almost taste the mint chocolate chip ice cream and smell the sun lotion as her and Chaeyoung were kicked out of the house and left to swim and lounge on towels while the sun turned their skin golden. Summer had always been her favourite time of year. As Jennie made her way down the beach though, a shiver, as the wind snaked beneath the collar of her coat, reminded her that autumn was riding in on the coattails of summer, and the sweltering heat was already giving way to burnt orange leaves, pumpkin pie and hot chocolate.

Walking further and further down the beach, Jennie took a left, walking up the sand dunes, struggling not to sink in the dry sand as she pushed through sparse clumps of long waving grass, and took the path up to the top of the cliffs, before the beach ended at the bottom and left her facing a wall of grey rock. They'd used to clamber over the smaller rocks, holding on as they were pounded by waves, until they found the dark holes of caves, and found crabs and starfish in the rock pools, but it was getting chilly, and too dark for Jennie to even consider it, so she walked along the path winding with the cliffs, until she reached a slight slope, leading up to the peak of the tallest point of the cliff. The top of the cliff was covered in grass, and a trampled muddy path cut through it, all the way to the top, leaving Jennie breathless as she walked upwards, watching as the pink of the sunset turned indigo, and the sun sank low on the horizon.

And then she suddenly stopped, two dozen feet from where the top of the cliff leveled out, jutting out over the churning water below, strewn with jagged rocks. She stopped, her heart in her throat, because a woman stood at the very edge, her dark hair tossed around her head by the gentle breeze. Jennie couldn't see her face, but she was wearing a mustard colored raincoat, and standing too close for Jennie's comfort, making her expect the worst, and she quickly jogged towards her, stopping a few meters away, not wanting to startle the woman.

"Excuse me, miss!" Jennie called out, her voice shaking slightly as she looked at the woman with wide eyes.

The woman turned around, her face half hidden by dark sunglasses, despite the fact that it wasn't even sunny anymore, and her heavy brows lifted slightly in surprise. "Can I help you, miss?"

"Uh, don't- don't do it," Jennie hesitantly called out, wondering if she should call the sheriff, and silently cursing herself when she patted down her pockets and realized she'd left it in her satchel, back at the house. "Don't jump. Please."

Wincing as the woman let out a sharp laugh, Jennie took a small step towards her, a hand outstretched as if she thought the woman was going to fling herself off the edge. To her surprise, the woman buried her hands in her pocket and stepped towards Jennie, making her relax slightly. "You think I'm going to jump?"

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Jennie shrugged slightly, "I don't know. I mean... yes. You wouldn't be the first."

"I'm not trying to kill myself," the woman tightly responded, taking another slow step towards Jennie, "I like to come up here and listen."

"Listen?" Jennie asked, hearing nothing but the screaming of the wind and the sound of waves crashing against the cliffs below.

A small smile uplifted the woman's lips, and she shrugged, "it's like music to my ears."

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry for disturbing you," Jennie muttered, feeling her cheeks warm slightly, and cursing herself for not being able to stop it. "I just- well, people get it into their heads to come here because of its history."

"Its history?" the woman asked, her curiosity piqued as she walked towards Jennie, "what history?"

Clearing her throat slightly, Jennie fiddled with her glasses, giving the woman a nervous smile. "Um, well, this place is called Lover's Ridge, but no one really calls it anything. Back in the nineteenth century, there were these two women who were in love. Well, you know, it was the nineteenth century so they weren't allowed - that kind of thing was forbidden - so they came here, they held hands, and they jumped off the edge of the cliff. If they couldn't be together in life, then why not in death, you know?"

The woman was silent as they walked - somehow they were walking back down the gentle slope, and Jennie didn't even remember moving - and then she let out a quick laugh, a smile spreading across her face as she turned towards Jennie. "Well, it's a bit of a misnomer isn't it? And not a very nice story. Did you make it up?"

"No," Jennie said, smiling despite herself, "and it's true!"

"If you say so," the woman replied, "you have quite a nice voice for telling stories, you know. What do you do?"

Jennie bit her lip as she scrambled for an answer. She couldn't tell the woman she'd just been fired - she didn't even know her - and Jennie cleared her throat slightly as she hesitantly replied. "I'm a, uh, a writer."

"Aha, so you did make it up!" the woman quietly exclaimed, and Jennie felt herself blushing slightly, ducking her head as she joined in with her laughter.

"No! I promise you, I didn't make it up," Jennie told her, "and what do you do, music girl?"

The woman smiled slightly at the nickname, arching an eyebrow as she stared at Jennie from behind the dark lenses. Even though she couldn't see her eyes, Jennie had the feeling that the woman had an unnerving stare, one that could pierce her soul, and she wished she'd take off the sunglasses so Jennie could see her face properly.

"Well, storyteller, I happen to write too," the woman replied, "perhaps something different to you though."

Their feet crunched as the muddy path turned to gravel, and Jennie blinked as she took in the indigo sky, with the first stars coming into appearance, and the orange glow of the streetlights flickering to life. It was getting dark, and Minzy was probably wondering where she was, with Chinese food waiting, and Jennie cast a quick look at the other woman, giving her a small smile. "Perhaps. I should get going though," Jennie told her, "it was nice to meet you."

The woman gave her a quick nod, smiling slightly too, still wearing her sunglasses, despite the encroaching darkness. "You too, storyteller," she quietly replied, her lips quirking up at the corners, "maybe next time you'll have something better for me."

Jennie opened her mouth to protest the fact that it was true, and let out a breathless laugh when she saw the taunting smile on woman's face, and shook her head. "Stay away from cliffs."

"Not a chance, miss," the woman laughed, turning away and walking off.

Jennie stared after her for a few moments, surprised at the fact that she'd never seen this woman before, and wondering if she was passing through, or had only just arrived. Either way, Jennie was struck by her oddness, unsure what to make of her, and she was still wondering when the woman turned around and cast a glance at her over her shoulder. It was too dark to tell, but Jennie had the feeling that the woman was giving her a smug look, with that arched eyebrow, as if she knew Jennie was still rooted to the spot. Feeling her cheeks flush again, Jennie gave her a small wave, ducked her head down and began the walk home, cutting through the forest of trees that skirted their house on the other side, knowing her way through it, even in the dark. The whole walk home, up until she saw the welcoming yellow lights of the house, she couldn't shake the strange woman from her thoughts.

•••


	2. Chapter 2

A couple of days passed by, spent walking along the rocky shoreline as Jennie got back into the habit of early morning jogs, watching as the sun rose behind a wall of damp fog. She didn't see the woman again, and thought her assumption that she'd been passing through was correct, and she faded from Jennie's mind by the end of the week, replaced by thoughts of how she was going to get back on her feet. Minzy was perfectly content to let her stay as long as she wanted to, but Jennie had no plans to stay longer than a couple of weeks; she was optimistic she'd find another job, and she could move in with Chaeyoung for a little while. It would just be a few weeks. In the meantime she made herself busy, tidying up around the house, pulling weeds in the garden and trying to replicate Minzy's lamb casserole for when her adoptive mother came home from work. She spent hours reading in the window seat in her and Chaeyoung's room, feeling the cool breeze caress her skin as she sat with the window open, listening to the sound of the waves and finding that they did hold a kind of music to them.

It was Monday morning, and the start of a fresh week, which had lifted Jennie's spirits considerably. She felt optimistic that even though last week had been awful, a new week held so many possibilities, and as she folded the freshly cleaned and dried laundry, the comforting smell of lavender clinging to the thin shirts and towels, Jennie decided to take a walk into town. The fridge was low on a few things, and she was hoping the library would have some books for her to check out to help pass the time. By half past twelve, she was wearing a thin jacket just in case the puffy white clouds turned into a downpour, and was walking along the tree-lined road, letting her mind drift as her fingertips skimmed the tips of long grass that waved on the side of the road in the gentle breeze. A few beaten cars rumbled past, with some familiar faces slowing and winding down the window to offer her a ride, but Jennie was content to walk, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face as she soaked up the last of the summer weather. The chill in the air already spoke of autumn, and Jennie wanted to make the most of walking without an umbrella and the bone-deep chill that accompanied the cold.

The library turned out to be a success, earning Jennie two worn paperbacks to occupy her for a few days, and she celebrated by forking out a few dollars for a tuna and cucumber sandwich at a nearby deli, eating it as she walked towards the small grocery store wedged in between a clothing store and a dentist office. Perusing the aisles, she filled a small basket up with a few things, picking up ingredients for lasagna for dinner, and indulging herself with two tubs of cookie dough ice cream. With her paperbacks tucked safely under one arm and the paper grocery bag held in her other, she walked out of the store and someone walking past bumped into her, making her drop the books and tearing the bag as she clutched at the paper and let gravity do the rest of the work, spilling her groceries all over the place.

The other person wasn't quite as fortunate and went sprawling forward as they tripped, their own bag dropping to the ground, with a few items escaping and rolling down the sidewalk. Jennie immediately dropped down to help the woman up, taking in the dark hair and sunglasses and freezing for a moment, before her face split into a wide smile. "Music girl!" she crowed, taking the woman's warm hand in hers to help her up, "you should be more aware of your surroundings, you almost ran me over."

"Me?!" the woman spluttered, pulling her hand out of Jennie's as her heavy eyebrows pulled down into a scowl, which was in stark contrast to the riot of colours of the knitted poncho she was wearing, which looked decidedly optimistic on the cool summer's day. "I'm blind! You watch where you're going."

Jennie let out an awkward laugh, pushing her glasses up her nose with one hand as she reached for her belongings with the other. Picking up a punnet of blueberries and a box that didn't belong to her, Jennie held them out to the woman, who was fumbling around on the ground, her hands seeking her spilled shopping, and Jennie blanched slightly as she saw the red and white striped cane beside the woman and realized that she actually was blind. "Oh. Oh. Oh god, I'm so sorry. I had no idea- the other day you- I'm sorry," Jennie babbled, quickly shoving things back into the canvas bag stamped with the logo for the organic store down the street.

Chasing down a can of black beans and a few escaped apples, which Jennie hoped weren't bruised as she rubbed them on her coat and slipped back into the bag, with the feeling that the other woman knew exactly what she'd just done. The woman in question had pushed herself to her feet, her cane clutched in her right hand and a carton of milk held in the other. "This is yours," she curtly replied as Jennie stopped in front of her, putting the food into the bag and taking the carton of milk as she swapped it for the woman's groceries, wondering how she knew it was Jennie's milk.

"Right. Thank you. Sorry again about the- well, I'll be more careful next time," Jennie babbled, feeling tongue tied as she flushed slightly, staring at the dark lenses of the woman's sunglasses. She hadn't realized at all last time - the woman hadn't even had her cane out, and Jennie thought wearing sunglasses at dusk was just her being odd - and she still felt a little unnerved by the presumed intensity of the stare behind the lenses, even knowing that the woman couldn't see her.

"Thank you, storyteller," the woman replied, somewhat softer than her previously pissed off tone had been, as she hoisted her bag onto her shoulder.

Jennie quickly picked up the rest of her own groceries, cradling the torn bag in her arms with her books precariously balanced on top, and shifted from foot to foot as she found herself nervously quiet in the woman's presence. "My name's Jennie, by the way," she blurted out.

"I would say it's nice to meet you, but I've already had the pleasure," the woman mused, a wry smile on her lips that made Jennie flush again, feeling as though she was being made fun of. She didn't offer her own name and they fell into silence again for a few moments.

Jennie ducked her head, scuffing the sidewalk with her shoe as she cast quick sneak peeks up at the woman, even though she knew the other woman couldn't see her. In her quick glances, she managed to take in the bright red, orange, blue, yellow and pink knitted pattern of the poncho, and for a brief moment considered asking whether the woman was into Peruvian folk music, looking like she already belonged in a band. "I like your poncho," Jennie told her, eager to prolong the encounter with the woman, who was getting more intriguing with every encounter.

"Thank you," she replied, "perhaps I'll see you again, Jennie."

"Bye music girl," Jennie smiled, watching her brush past, the rounded end of the stick tapping back and forth as she made sure her path wasn't obstructed or uneven on the cracked and pitted sidewalk.

"You should stop using paper bags," the woman called back over her shoulder, "it's bad for the environment."

Jennie let out a surprised laugh, realizing that woman had heard the bag rip when she'd tripped, and she glanced down at her torn bag of groceries, before glancing up at the woman once more, finding her already turning the corner, her stride slow but confident. Shaking her head slightly, Jennie turned around and began walking back down the street, passing by the organic shop and pausing, before walking inside and purchasing a canvas bag, which she placed the groceries in and slung over her shoulder.

The walk home took longer than the walk there, with Jennie's distracted mind running over the embarrassing moment of telling a blind woman to watch where she was going, and Jennie groaned internally, feeling like the world's biggest idiot. It wasn't like she could've known, but still, her cheeks warmed slightly every time she thought about it, but she couldn't help but not think about the woman from the top of the cliff. Apparently she was still in town, and Jennie couldn't help but feel intrigued by the woman, who had a sharp wit, an odd sense of fashion and a clear love for music, and wondered how long she was going to be staying for. Jennie had decided to work on her novel while she was here, with nothing to disturb her in her unemployment and exile to the small town, and so far she didn't have a lot to show for it. What she needed was something interesting, something fresh, and the woman was definitely a little mysterious, and Jennie wondered if perhaps she'd do the trick.

Back at the house, she turned on the radio in the kitchen, fitting boxes and cartons into the fridge and cupboards, before she got started on chopping onions for the lasagna, stirring in the minced beef as she absentmindedly listened to the quiet music drifting towards her. It was a nice day today, a slow day, and Jennie closed her eyes, feeling a gust of warm breeze waft in through the windows, filling the room with the faint smell of pine and salt from the trees and the sea outside. Layering sauce and pasta into a deep dish, she sprinkled some cheese on top and popped it into the oven, setting a timer and stripping off the apron she was wearing. The sun was starting to set by the time she had finished cleaning up after herself, and through the large window above the sink, she could see the warm hues of the sunset and felt the urge to go for another walk, feeling restless at her complacency. As a journalist, she'd been swept off her feet by story after story, and Jennie was feeling antsy at being cooped up with nothing to do but twiddle her thumbs and reread books she'd read a dozen times. She'd even started reading one of Minzy's complex medical journals yesterday, feeling glad that she'd taken an interest in science and Grey's Anatomy so she could somewhat follow what was happening.

Walking seemed to do the trick though, and with a quick glance at the timer and the leather watch strapped to her wrist, Jennie made a mental note to be back in fifty minutes, slipping on her loafers and jacket as she swept out of the back door. The grass behind the white house gave way to the gentle slope of sand, all the way down to the shoreline, and Jennie was careful to keep further up the beach as she watched the tide come in, the rippling waves looking pink in the light of the sunset. The briny smell of the sea filled her nose and Jennie breathed it in deeply as she slowly wandered along the beach, reveling in the smell that was so different to the car exhaust, gasoline and smell of greasy food that haunted the streets of Seoul. Being in Auckland was literally like a breath of fresh air, with the smell of salt and pine, the scent of lavender that shrouded the house from the plants in Minzy's garden, and the smell of fresh bread and coffee when Jennie walked through the middle of town early in the morning. Stooping to pick up a peach colored shell, Jennie ran a fingernail over the ridges as she meandered along, her shoes filling with sand, feeling the gritty grains beneath her feet with every step. The sharp squalling of seagulls reached her ears as she kept walking, cutting through the gentle sound of the calm ocean as the wheeled around the shore, riding the gentle wind as they looked for scraps.

And then there was something else. It was so out of place and sudden that Jennie wasn't sure she'd heard it at all, especially not over the sounds of the seagulls and the sea, but there it was again, a hauntingly beautiful melody being played on the piano. She hadn't walked this far this late before, with the sun just a smudge of orange low on the horizon, and wasn't sure if it was a common occurrence, but she was drawn to it all the same, like a poor sailor ensnared by a siren. Taking the sandy path cutting through the sparse grass of the sand dunes on her left, Jennie followed it, her shoes scraping as the sand gave way to stone and then lush green grass and a barricade of black trunks. The sound continued, drifting towards her on the breeze, and Jennie wound her way between the trunks, a mesmerized look on her face at the beautiful music. It was clearly being played by someone, not just a CD, and Jennie was enraptured, having always been partial to the piano, even though she couldn't play it herself. Walking through the small copse of trees as if she was in a dream, Jennie eventually stumbled upon a dark house, barely visible in the dwindling sunlight that just managed to filter through the trees behind her, and she wondered if she had the right one for a second, as the whole house seemed still. And then the music started up again, haltingly stopping and starting as if someone was making corrections to it, and Jennie lingered beside a trunk, her shoulder resting against the rough bark, and closed her eyes as she listened.

It wasn't until the music stopped that she realized how long she'd been there, and cast a quick look down at her watch, realizing that the lasagna would be done any minute now. Muttering a curse, she turned and slipped back through the trees and slid down the sand dunes, before settling into a quick pace as she ran along the hard packed sand, her lungs burning after a few minutes. It didn't take her long to get home, and Jennie managed to save the lasagna just short of being a little too crispy, and left it to cool. Wandering upstairs to change into something more comfortable, she came back down with her laptop, opening up a blank document and pausing, before she started to type. She hadn't moved at all by the time Minzy walked in, taking in the sight of her daughter sitting at the kitchen table, pushing her glasses up her nose as she typed, her fingers a flurry of taps. The music had given her an idea, and Jennie wasn't one to waste an opportunity


	3. Chapter 3

"It's like he's blacklisted me," Jennie grumbled into the phone as she put a load of washing into the machine, clamping the phone between her ear and shoulder as she carefully measured out a cap full of the cherry blossom fabric softener that Minzy liked. Closing the tray with a little more force than necessary, Jennie turned the dial and pressed the button, listening to the sound of water running. Picking the phone up with her hand, she pressed it to her ear as she walked through the hallway, the wooden floor creaking beneath her footsteps. "I've applied to three other newspapers in Seoul and none of them have gotten back to me. I even applied as a columnist for a fashion magazine!"

"You, in fashion?" Chaeyoung snorted, "I don't think advising people to wear a belt with everything would make for a good column."

"What's wrong with my belts?" Jennie indignantly replied, flicking the switch for the kettle and pulling a clean cup out of the cupboard. Jumping onto the counter, she stole a slice of banana bread that she'd baked earlier, grimacing at the slightly sticky center where she hadn't cooked it all the way through. Sighing, she put it back down on the pile and waited for the hot water to boil; she could get a cup of tea right, if nothing else.

Chaeyoung laughed on the other end of the phone, not deigning her sister with a reply, and the conversation moved on. "When are you coming home? You know living with me wouldn't be a bother. I already have all of your shit in here anyway. Honestly, Jennie, you need to stop buying books. Bobby almost threw his back out when he tried lifting one of them."

"How is he?" Jennie asked, feeling slightly guilty about blowing off his concerned texts with short, half-hearted replies.

"Pretty upset that he lost his gaming buddy," Chaeyoung said, "he'll get over it though. B.I. even volunteered to get an Xbox to keep him company."

Jennie tried to ignore the barely concealed happiness in Chaeyoung's tone, knowing her sister had never been overly fond of Taehyung, and had only made the effort to talk to him for Jennie's sake. It turned out Chaeyoung's judgement had been right though, and Jennie felt slightly bitter at the fact that she had been. After losing her job, it would've been nice to just have one thing, but instead, she had nothing of her own. Brooding over her failures, Jennie couldn't help but feel disheartened, and almost as if she could head her sister's thoughts, Chaeyoung's voice softened.

"Hey, it's okay. You'll find something. This isn't permanent," she soothingly told her.

Rubbing her forehead, Jennie sighed, her shoulders dropping in defeat. "Yeah. I'll be back in no time. I've started writing a book in the meantime."

Chaeyoung made a small exclamation of surprise, "That's great! You've been saying you were going to write one for years. What's it about?"

Perking up slightly at Chaeyoung's encouraging tone - not that she'd expect anything less from her supportive sister - Jennie smiled slightly, biting her lip. "I'm not really sure yet. I've only been working on it for a few days."

"Well it's good that you've got something to do for now," Chaeyoung said.

"Yeah," Jennie murmured, the sound of bubbling water reaching her ears, shortly followed by a quiet click as the switch flicked, and she jumped down off the counter, sweeping her ruined banana bread into the bin. "Well, I, uh, I should get going. I'm trying to make a soup for dinner tonight so I need to go to the store."

"Good luck," Chaeyoung laughed, "I'll speak to you soon. Let me know if I can help with anything."

Knowing that she wouldn't bother her sister, who already had her own life to worry about, including a stressful job as a police detective as well as recovering from her own break up, she Jennie agreed anyway. "Yeah, sure. Bye."

When the line went dead, Jennie filled the teacup decorated with delicate violets up with hot water, letting the green tea steep for a few minutes, before she took the teabag out and walked over to the kitchen table, setting down a coaster and easing herself into one of the chairs. Opening up her laptop, she pushed her glasses up her nose so that they were sitting more comfortably, and opened up the plan for her book. She worked on it for a little while, tinkering with the plot while she drank her tea, and then she put the washing in the dryer and slipped on her shoes and coat. Fetching her canvas bag and purse, Jennie stepped outside and locked the door behind her, before fetching her old bike from the garage. Over the past few days, she'd settled in more, sifting through boxes of her old things that had been stored in the dusty attic. The bike had been left in the cluttered garage, hidden behind Chaeyoung's old surfboard and some of Jimin's fishing rods, and Jennie had felt triumphant at finding it. She'd washed away the cobwebs and pumped up the tires, and it had been perfect to speed up her trips into town. Swinging one leg over it, she balanced herself and put her bag and purse in the wicker basket attached the front, before peddling down the steep driveway and riding along the shoulder of the road.

She didn't bother locking her bike up when she reached the store, knowing that there were too few people in Auckland to not find out who took it if it went missing, and Jennie set it against a streetlight, grabbing her purse and bag, before disappearing into the store. She re-emerged half an hour later with a bag bulging with groceries, and dangled it from the handlebar, before climbing back on. As she rode back through town, waving at old neighbors and teachers, and feeling even more like a loser when she saw some of the girls she'd gone to school with, all gathered together outside one of the cafés. Ducking her head down, she rode on, peeking up occasionally as she kept an eye out for a particular person. She hadn't seen her new mystery girl since they'd bumped into each other, and Jennie would be lying if she said she didn't keep an eye out for her when she came into town. For such a small town, Jennie expected to see her around a lot more, but whether she came in to get more books out of the library, pick up groceries, or browse the shops, she saw no sight of the dark hair and bright clothes. It seemed that was the case for today too, and feeling a little disappointed, Jennie rode all the way home thinking about her.

With one of the cookbooks open on the counter, Jennie carefully chopped bell peppers and onions, measured spices and herbs and made sure she didn't burn anything as she followed the instructions, down to the letter. The smell of different aromas from the soup chased away the smell of the sea that drifted in through the open window, and Jennie diligently stirred it as she admired her creation, a triumphant look on her face when she tried it and found that it wasn't half bad. Once the rice was cooked, she let them both sit, deciding to wait until Minzy was home so that they could eat together, and donned her running shoes and some exercise clothes.

The stretchy fabric of her leggings melded to her wiry muscles as she stretched out her calves on the back porch steps, staring out at the clear blue sky and the sun, which was just starting to sink on the horizon. With her earphones in, and the audiobook for the latest Dan Brown book playing, Jennie set off across the springy grass of their half garden, which gave way to the gentle slope of sand dunes, with patches of coarse grass waving in the breeze as Jennie trampled it. She ran along the shoreline, where the sand was firmer and wouldn't tire her out as quickly, and set a rhythm to the soothing voice speaking to her. She could just hear the sound of the waves over the top of the man speaking, and let herself relax into her easy jog, stepping over seaweed and driftwood as she breathed in the briny smell, her lungs burning before too long.

She'd set out a path that she took daily now, always near dusk, so that she could stop and sit on the sand dunes behind the house she'd stumbled across, because over the past week, she'd come to figure out that the piano player had a routine. Every evening, without fail, they had played their music as the sun was going down, and Jennie would sit on the sand and listen. They'd perfected the melody they'd been playing the first time she'd heard them playing, and over the past few days they'd been learning a new one. Their playing went from beautiful flowing notes, to the choppy frustration of someone who couldn't get it right, and Jennie would quietly laugh as she listened to the ominous sounds of chords that didn't sound quite right as the person vented their frustration. Then they'd play something they already knew, and she'd close her eyes to the pinks and oranges, slowly receding as they gave way to indigo and navy, listening to the gentle song as she relaxed on the sand, which was still warm from the sun.

As she neared the spot this time, she pulled her earphones out, expecting to hear the first few lilting notes reaching her ears, but hearing nothing but the sea. Sighing, Jennie flopped down on the sand anyway, not quite as far up the beach as she usually went, but still close enough to listen for the sound of the piano if the person decided to play. Closing her eyes as she basked in the last rays of warmth for the day, Jennie evened out her breathing, listening to the rustling of trees from the small forest behind her, bringing with it the damp smell of moss and leaves, mingling with the salty smell of the sea. She sat in silence for five minutes, before a quiet slithering sound reached her ears, and Jennie opened her eyes, sitting up as she looked around. Off to her left, further up the beach, a figure dressed in an orange jacket was making their way across the sand, their bare feet kicking it up with each step, which was the source of the slithering sound. Smiling brightly, Jennie leapt to her feet, recognizing the dark hair, if not the penchant for brightly colored clothes, and ran down the beach with renewed vigor.

"Music girl," Jennie called out, raising her hand to wave, before realizing what she was doing and slowly lowering it, her cheeks turning slightly pink with embarrassment.

At the sound of the nickname, the woman's head whipped around, a look of surprise on her face, and she raised her hand in a small wave in what she judged to be Jennie's direction. Slowly as she neared her, Jennie smiled brightly, the sand shifting beneath her feet as she dared to take a few steps closer. "Hi."

"Jennie," the woman greeted her, a faint smile on her lips. She was wearing her dark sunglasses, as ever, and Jennie secretly hoped that the smile reached her eyes.

"Fancy seeing you here," Jennie said, "you know, you still haven't told me your name."

Letting out a quiet laugh, the woman shrugged, her hands buried deep in her pockets. "I live in the area, and yes, I'm aware."

Delighted by the news that she did in fact live in the area, Jennie fell into step beside her, matching the slow but sure pace the woman set. "I live in the area too! Not permanently, just for a little while," Jennie chatted, "I'm surprised I haven't seen you around town more."

"I'm not much of a social butterfly," the woman dryly replied, clearly with no intention of introducing herself.

"Oh, well I guess that explains why. I thought you might've been passing through for the summer," Jennie babbled, "I haven't seen you around before, so I assumed you were new."

"Relatively," she quietly replied, her head turned in Jennie's direction, as if she was looking her straight in the eye. "I moved here about a year ago."

Eyes rising slightly in surprise, Jennie nodded. "I lived here for a while. With my, uh, my family. I wasn't here too long though, because I went to college."

"For writing?"

"No, for journalism, actually," Jennie told her.

"Huh. So that's what you write?"

Wincing slightly, Jennie shook her head, before realizing the woman couldn't see her. "No. I- well, I used to, but ... not anymore."

"What brought you back here then?" the woman asked, smiling slightly as if the thought of anyone willingly coming to Auckland was amusing.

"A breakup," Jennie hesitantly said.

"Ouch," the woman muttered, grimacing slightly at her lack of tact, "sorry."

Laughing, Jennie waved her apology aside, "well unless your real name is Irene, you have nothing to apologize for."

"Another woman?" she winced, giving Jennie a sympathetic look. "That's rough, but more the fool him. He'll never get to hear the riveting story of the girls who used to jump off cliffs here - which is still debatably true."

"It is!" Jennie insisted, unable to stop herself from laughing.

She kicked up sand as she walked alongside the woman, occasionally stooping down to pick up shells in delicate shades of peach, lilac and blue, before letting them tumble back through her fingertips to thud back onto the sand. If the woman picked up on her doing it, she didn't question what she was doing, and just walked silently alongside Jennie. It was almost completely dark when Jennie saw the telltale yellow lights of her house looming out of the dark, and turned to the woman. They'd walked in companionable quiet, only occasionally asking a question or talking, and she'd given no signs that her house was nearby, and Jennie hesitated slightly.

"My house is near here," she told her, sounding somewhat reluctant to leave.

"Okay. Goodbye then. Have a good night," the woman told her, giving Jennie a warm smile.

Not wanting to leave her alone as the hour grew later, Jennie hesitated slightly. "Did you- would you like me to walk you home? It's getting dark."

To her surprise, the woman let out a loud laugh, sounding genuinely amused. "It could be the middle of the day, or in a pitch black tunnel and it would make no difference to me, but thanks for your concern. And we passed my house about two miles ago."

"What?!" Jennie spluttered, blinking in surprise, "why didn't you tell me?"

"I was enjoying listening to you talk. I told you, you have a nice voice to listen to," the woman told her. "Besides, being the town cryptic means that I rarely get to have a proper conversation with someone. It was ... nice."

Standing in her orange jacket, with her over-sized sunglasses covering half of her face, Jennie understood why people would think the woman was odd, and try and avoid her. Of course, her stick, which she didn't have out at the moment, wouldn't really help her case with people who only saw that instead of the girl behind it, and Jennie felt a small feeling of pity well up inside.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I don't have any friends here either," Jennie sighed, a small smile curling the corner of her lips.

"Who needs friends anyway," the woman scoffed, an amused smile playing on her lips, "you can just meet strangers on the edge of a cliff. It's much better."

Letting out a quick laugh, Jennie ducked her head down, pushing her glasses up her nose as she kicked at the grass with the toe of her shoe. "Hard to argue with you there," she smiled.

"I'd better let you get inside," the woman quietly murmured.

"Right. Goodnight," Jennie replied, "get home safely."

Nodding, the woman turned around, walking back the way they had come, as surefooted as she'd been on the way to Minzy's house, and Jennie stared after her with curiosity. She stayed rooted to the spot until the woman had disappeared into the encroaching darkness, taking her air of mystery with her, leaving Jennie wondering about who she really was beneath it all. Shaking her head, Jennie smiled as she plodded back to the house, shaking sand out of her shoes before she walked inside, smelling like the beach. Minzy was already home, and Jennie warmly greeted her as she ran upstairs, quickly changing into a pair of denim cut-off shorts and an old college sweater with a hole in the collar. Coming back downstairs, Jennie walked into the kitchen, where Minzy was setting the table, looking tired after a day at the hospital.

"Busy day?" Jennie asked, giving her a bright smile as she pulled two plates out of the cupboard and started spooning rice onto them both.

"Not really," Minzy replied, "just some early flu shots, a few broken bones, and a nasty chest infection. It'll be hectic soon with all the holidays in the next few months, so I'm enjoying the quiet while I can. How about you? The soup smells good."

Jennie let out a quick laugh, giving her adoptive mom a quick grimace, "there would've been some banana bread too, but I messed that up. I copied your recipe, but I just can't seem to get it right."

Minzy laughed, affectionately stroking Jennie's hair as she walked past her, fetching a jug of lemonade, the circular slices bobbing in the pale yellow liquid as she set it down in the middle of the table. "We can make some this Saturday if you'd like. I'm off, so I can help you with it."

"Sounds great," Jennie agreed, taking the rice out of the microwave and spooning on some of the soup, which was simmering on the stove. Her stomach grumbled at the smell of it, and she handed the plate over to Minzy, before turning to her own plate and piling it up. "Hey, do you know the blind woman who lives here?"

"Blind woman? You mean Jisoo?" Minzy asked, her fork halfway to her mouth as Jennie dragged her chair out and set her plate down opposite her.

Jisoo. That had to be her, and Jennie smiled slightly at the sound of the name, finding that she liked it. "I guess so. Dark hair, loves colorful clothes."

"Mhm, that's her," Minzy agreed, "I wouldn't say I know her, but she's been into the hospital a few times. She seems very sweet, and well mannered. Poor girl."

Tilting her head to the side, Jennie frowned slightly in confusion, "why? What's wrong with her?"

"She's here all alone. No family, no friends. She has to do everything for herself," Minzy said, her voice full of pity.

Jennie wasn't sure what to make of it, because it didn't look like Jisoo needed any help with anything. She'd offered to walk her home and Jisoo had just laughed in her face, as if the thought of it was ridiculous - although, Jennie's reasoning was rather stupid to a blind person. "I've seen her around a few times. She seems nice."

"I'm glad you're making friends," Minzy approvingly replied.

"I wouldn't say that," Jennie laughed, "besides, I won't be here that long. I'm applying for another job tomorrow; an online magazine wants a new sports journalist."

Minzy paused for a moment, giving Jennie a confused look, before shoving a forkful of soup and rice into her mouth. Chaeyoung had already made fun of Jennie earlier on when she mentioned it, and Jennie knew she wasn't exactly an expert, but she could learn. Not wanting to crush her hopes, Minzy swallowed her mouthful and gave her a reassuring smile. "Sounds great! How's the book coming along too?"

A hesitant smile flickered across Jennie's face, and she shrugged as she poked at her food, "it's ... early, but I'm hoping it's good."

She was hoping that she'd hear that piano player again, craving the flood of inspiration the music had given her the first time she'd heard it. She was also hoping that she'd see Jisoo again, finding her captivating to talk to, despite her eccentric fashion choices. Auckland was turning out to have a lot of interesting characters, and Jennie was hoping that the town would keep on giving as she wrote her book. She could have a reason to stay after all.


	4. Chapter 4

She was sitting at one of the round metal tables outside the diner, soaking up what she expected to be the last of the sunny weather, a battered book open on the table before her while she absentmindedly stirred her latte. Over the past week, Jennie had become more broody, hidden away inside the house except for her evening jogs, feeling more and more frustrated with her situation, until Minzy had kicked her out for some fresh air with a few dollars pushed into her hand to buy herself lunch. Jennie hated feeling like she couldn't support herself, and she knew her adoptive mother only meant to help encourage her to enjoy herself, but to Jennie, it almost felt like she was being pitied. Still, she'd taken her advice and pedaled into town, returned a few books to the library and checked out some more, and parked herself at the table for the rest of the morning. The smell of fresh coffee was a constant companion as she read, her eyes quickly skimming the pages while she enjoyed the clean air and the gentle breeze. Being outside always managed to clear Jennie's head, and after the thick air of Seoul, it was a welcome change to sit outside and not be assaulted by the smell of the sewers or choking car exhaust. If she'd come back to Auckland for any other reason, Jennie would've enjoyed herself a lot more, but with the constant fear of being seen as a failure weighing down on her shoulders, the most she could manage was to shake away her negative thoughts and peacefully read for a while.

By the time she'd finished her coffee and packed away her books, she found herself more relaxed and in a slightly better mood, thanking the waitress who was cleaning up dirty cups outside, and collecting her bike from where she'd propped it up against the side of her table. Wheeling it down the sidewalk, Jennie swung a leg over the bike and placed her bag in the basket, before she started pedaling down the sidewalk, her dark hair streaming out behind her as she rode through the middle of town. At the sight of a bright blue coat out of the corner of her eye, Jennie whipped her head around, a bright smile crossing her face at the familiar dark hair, and she narrowly avoided crashing into a man wheeling boxes into the supermarket as she drifted. Shouting a quick apology at the man, who yelled after her, Jennie cycled across the street, breaking as she reached the opposite curb and climbed off her bike.

"Jisoo!" she called out, pushing her bike up the curb and walking towards her.

"You know my name," Jisoo smiled at her, immediately looking up at the sound of Jennie's voice.

Jennie laughed, her cheeks turning slightly pink as she rubbed the back of her neck, "yeah, I, uh, I asked my... mom."

"Are you sure about that?" Jisoo laughed, fumbling with her bags as she tried to unfold her cane, two segments snapping together.

"About what?"

"That you asked your mom."

Reaching out towards her, Jennie hesitated slightly, "can I hold your bags for you?"

Relinquishing them over to Jennie's hands, Jisoo managed to get the rest of the stick connected, holding it tightly in her right hand as she let the round ball on the end rest on the sidewalk. Jennie held the heavy bags in one hand, the other keeping her bike balanced as she stared at Jisoo's sweatpants - black with bright purple stars - smiling slightly to herself.

A pale hand reaching out towards her made Jennie look back up, and she realised that Jisoo was waiting for Jennie to hand the bags back to her. "Oh, um, I can carry them for you if you'd like. I was heading home anyway," Jennie offered, a hopeful look on her face.

"Oh, no, I couldn't let you," Jisoo declined her offer, a small smile playing on her lips, "I'm fine. Really."

"I know," Jennie softly replied, "but I do have my bike here, so it would be nothing to hang them off the handlebars. They're a bit heavy." At the hesitant look on Jisoo's face, Jennie let out a quiet laugh, realizing that her mystery girl wasn't sure if she wanted to accept her help, and Minzy's words about how she did everything herself came to Jennie's mind. "How about we take one each?"

Smiling a little more, Jisoo nodded, holding a hand out for one of the bags, and Jennie quickly weighed them both, giving her the lightest one. Waiting until Jisoo had the bag straps safely over her shoulder before they started walking, Jennie fell into step beside Jisoo, and they both began their slow procession through town, neither of them speaking as they passed by shops and restaurants. Feeling slightly nervous, Jennie opened her mouth, quickly closing it and peeking at Jisoo, before she opened it again. "I did ask her about your name," she admitted, "she's just... she's not my real mom."

"Step-mom?" Jisoo asked, turning to look at Jennie, an unreadable expression on her face, half hidden behind her dark sunglasses.

"Adoptive," Jennie said, shrugging slightly as she gave Jisoo a grim smile, even though the other woman couldn't see her.

Smiling slightly, Jisoo tilted her head to the side, giving Jennie that feeling again, like she saw every inch of her, watching her carefully behind her sunglasses. "Huh. Interesting."

"Yeah?" Jennie laughed in surprise, "well she said she knew you, kind of."

"Hm, well what's her name?" Jisoo asked.

Jennie smiled, the chain on her bike rattling as the wheels slowly squeaked, making slow progress as Jisoo's cane tapped side to side, more like a habit than a necessity with Jennie by her side. "Her name's Gong Minzy; she's a-"

"Doctor," Jisoo finished for her, turning to flash Jennie a quick smile, "yeah, I know her."

"Right, well I asked her about you," Jennie admitted, feeling her cheeks grow hot.

To her surprise, Jisoo let out a loud laugh, throwing her head back, her white teeth flashing in the sunlight as her pink lips parted. "What'd you ask her? 'Hey, do you know any blind people in town?'" Jisoo snorted.

Cheeks flaming red, Jennie ducked her head down as she let out an embarrassed laugh, "uh, yeah, something like that."

"Why?"

"I wanted to know your name," Jennie blurted out.

"Hm."

Peering up at the dark haired woman beside her, Jennie gave her a curious look, finding herself eager to know what she was thinking. "What?'

"Nothing," Jisoo shrugged, "I just- I didn't want to tell you my name."

"Oh," Jennie murmured, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise, "I'm sorry if I overstepped."

Smiling as she turned left, leading them down a side street that led towards the beach, Jisoo shook her head, "you didn't. I just liked the fact that you gave me your own nickname. I liked that you decided what to call me."

Brown eyes widening slightly, Jennie smiled, "music girl?"

"Mhm. I haven't been given a nickname in a while," Jisoo murmured, "haven't really had someone keep appearing out of thin air to chat either."

Giving Jisoo a sheepish look, Jennie gently bit her lip, "does it bother you that I keep popping up?"

Jisoo blew the air out of her lungs, the wind tossing her dark hair around her head as the sidewalk gave way to a rough rocky path, and the last few shops in the centre of town gave way to a few trees and beach shacks. The wind had picked up as they neared the start of the sand dunes, and soon the trees gave way to coarse patches of grass and the path veered right. The sky was a pale blue, and the glimmer of water glimpsed over the edge of the sand dunes was an even deeper blue, and Jennie watched as Jisoo deeply breathed in the smell of salt and warm sand. She turned to Jennie, that same soft smile on her face as she deliberated, picking her words carefully. "No," she quietly replied, "no. No one else bothers me, because it did bother me when they did, so I stopped talking to them. You... when I talk to you, it doesn't sound like you pity me, so you don't bother me."

"Ah," Jennie muttered, "well, you don't look like you need pitying, so-"

Giving her a wry smile, Jisoo laughed, "so you're not carrying my bag out of pity?"

Hesitating, Jennie joined in with her laughter, shaking her head as her eyes sparkled with mirth. "No, it's definitely not out of pity. You walked me home last week, so I thought I'd return the favour."

"How generous of you," Jisoo mused, turning her head to the left as if she was looking out over the water, a blissful look on her face as she breathed in the clean air sweeping in with the wind.

Jennie could see a few teenagers bobbing up and down in the sea, straddling surfboards as they relaxed after a long day shut up in classrooms. It was a bit too cold for a swim, in Jennie's opinion, but the rolling waves looked inviting as they came sweeping in, crashing on the shore while the white surf rushed up the beach, erasing the footprints that a woman walking her dog was leaving in her wake, before the water was dragged back down into the sea. They fell silent as they walked, mostly because Jennie found herself flustered and nervous in Jisoo's presence, not knowing what else to say, and Jisoo was too busy listening to the rhythm of the waves and the sound of the wind, her mind occupied with the harmony the elements were making.

They walked up the gentle incline as the beach gave way to craggy cliffs covered in grass, trees crowding at the base of them while the two women wound their way along the coastline, the leaves already wilting as the first touches of autumn swept through the town. It wouldn't be long before the ground was full of fallen leaves, in every shade of red and yellow, and Jennie's walks through the woods was carpeted by crunchy leaves and the smell of them rotting mingled with the smell of moss. Jennie wondered if she'd still be here then, or if she'd be back in Seoul by then, trading in a forest of ivy covered trees and rotting logs for a maze of steel and glass skyscrapers and a new job. Hopefully that would be the case, although she wouldn't deny that she'd missed autumns in Auckland.

"It's right here," Jisoo quietly interrupted Jennie's thoughts as they neared a fork in the path, and Jennie's eyebrows rose slightly, a small smile on her lips as she stared at Jisoo in wonder.

She'd never met a blind person before, and it was surprising just how much Jisoo was aware of, and Jennie made for the right fork, her bike quietly clicking as the wheels and chain turned. The sand beneath their feet gave way to earth and grass, and they passed beneath the shadowy canopy of trees, dappling their skin with sunlight and darkness as the path turned from trampled earth to cement. The smell of flowers and plants cut through the salty tang in the air, and Jennie looked to the left, past Jisoo, to look at the overgrown patch of grass peeking out from between the dark, ivy covered trunks of trees. Flowers of every colour were blooming in waist-high grass, which waved gently in the breeze, and Jennie squinted at the building she saw nestled amongst them, set a bit further back.

"Hey! Wait! Stop here a second," Jennie said, reaching out to gently touch Jisoo on the arm, the brief contact stopping Jisoo in her tracks at the surprise of being touched. She didn't tell Jennie, but she was so touch-starved that the feeling of Jennie reaching out to touch her made her feel warm inside.

"What's wrong?" Jisoo asked.

Jennie smiled brightly, wheeling her bike past Jisoo and leaning it against a tree. Brushing a low hanging branch aside, Jennie stepped through the treeline and stared up at the building - a grey house with white shutters and large windows - realizing that it was the same one she'd stumbled upon the first time she'd heard the piano player, only this time she was looking at the left side of the house and the front porch

"Nothing's wrong," Jennie called back over her shoulder, taking in the sight of Jisoo, frozen where Jennie had stopped her, grocery bag still over one shoulder while her cane was clutched tightly in her hand. "I just- I know this place. The person who lives here... they play the most beautiful music. I like to come and sit on the beach and listen to them play. It's piano. I've never heard anything like it; I feel like I'm in a dream."

Jisoo let out a quick laugh, shaking her head as she carried on walking. Frowning, Jennie hurried to grab her bike and follow after Jisoo, wondering what was so funny. But then the path ended as they came to the sidewalk bordering on the road, and Jisoo turned left and then left again, up the long driveway leading towards the house. Pausing her a second, Jennie frowned again, before she spluttered, rushing after Jisoo. "Hey! You live here?"

Laughing again, Jisoo stopped in her tracks, turning slightly to look at Jennie, her heavy eyebrows rising over the plastic frames of her sunglasses as she gave Jennie an amused look. "Mhm."

"So... the piano player," Jennie slowly asked, wondering who else lived here.

"Oh, well, that's me too," Jisoo lightly replied.

"You?!" Jennie exclaimed, an incredulous look on her face.

Shrugging, Jisoo carried on walking up the path, and Jennie stared around at the overgrown garden, realizing that it wasn't intentional - Jisoo couldn't do it all herself. They reached the front porch, and Jennie stopped at the bottom of the few steps, leaning her pink bike against the grey wooden slats of the house, taking Jisoo's grocery bag off the handle and turning to watch as Jisoo's cane hit the bottom step. Not wanting to presume that Jisoo needed her help, Jennie slowly ascended beside her, watching with interest as Jisoo took carefully measured steps - three up the stairs and then five across the front porch - before she reached into one of the pockets on her blue coat and produced a key. Feeling for the keyhole with her fingertips, she fiddled with the key, until she managed to fit it in the lock and get the door open.

It was dark inside, and Jennie realised that all of the shutters were locked shut, pitching the whole house into gloominess, despite it being the middle of the day. As she hovered on the doorstep, looking down at a strange doormat with chickens on it, she listened to Jisoo confidently walk inside, setting her groceries down on the wooden floor and start to take her cane apart. Picking her bag back up, she started walking down the dark hallway, before she paused and turned around, her face hidden in the shadows. "Well, aren't you coming inside?"

"Oh, um, sure," Jennie stammered, quickly stepping inside and shutting the door behind her.

Whatever light had been streaming in through the front door was gone the second it clicked shut behind her, and Jennie squinted as she tried to see through the darkness. Jisoo carried on walking ahead, and Jennie only caught glimpses of her outline, settling for following the sound of her light tread as she followed after her. She bumped into a side table in the hallway, stubbed her foot on the door frame, and banged her hip on the corner of a table, biting back a curse, before she realized that they were in the kitchen, and quickly set Jisoo's bag down on one of the counters, which she could barely make out in the dark. Unaware of Jennie's troubles, Jisoo quickly started unpacking her bags, putting an assortment of vegetables and packets of grains and lentils away, occasionally illuminating the room when she needed to put something in the fridge, giving Jennie a chance to look around the room. The kitchen was spacious and modern, decorated in light shades of cream, grey and a pale green, largely dominated by a round table and chairs and the massive stove. The whole place smelled like fresh herbs and flowers, mixed with the gentle scent of vanilla and cleaning products.

Jisoo paused halfway through and looked down at the punnet of blueberries she was holding in her hand, not quite knowing where Jennie was standing. "You can sit down. Sorry, I should've told you before; please, make yourself at home."

"Thanks," Jennie said, turning around and fumbling for the table, her fingertips hesitantly reaching out to find the back of a chair and carefully pull it out, trying not to let the legs scrape along the tiled floor.

A few minutes later and the sound of running water reached Jennie's ears as the tap turned on, and she turned to watch as Jisoo's shadowy figure filled up something from the sink beneath the wide shuttered windows. Four steps across the kitchen and a quiet click, and then Jisoo was asking her if she would like some tea, and Jennie agreed, happy to stay for a while longer. It wasn't long before Jisoo was carefully setting a cup of tea down for her, reaching for a coaster so it didn't mark the table, and dragging a chair out for herself, at a right angle to Jennie.

"Thank you," Jennie quietly said, somehow feeling the need to talk quietly because it was dark.

"You're welcome," Jisoo replied, sounding faintly amused. "You also sound surprised."

Letting out a slightly embarrassed laugh, Jennie wrapped her hands around the teacup, letting the scalding warmth of the fine china burn her palms. "Right. Yes, well, it's just ... I don't know anyone else who's blind, and you seem so ... "

"Normal?"

"Capable," Jennie corrected her, not liking her use of the word normal - it almost seemed like an insult to say that Jisoo wasn't like everyone else just because she couldn't see. From just a few short interactions with her, Jennie could see that Jisoo was wittier, more clever and funnier than most people she knew. The only thing about her that Jennie would say was odd was her fashion sense, but even then, it seemed as if she was doing it to be ironic.

Letting out a short laugh, Jisoo was quiet for a few moments. "Capable. That sounds like a rather odd -compliment, but thank you. I like to think I am capable."

"Well, I doubt I could make a cup of tea in the dark," Jennie laughed.

"The dark," Jisoo muttered, before letting out an exasperated sigh, "shit. I didn't turn any lights on for you. Why didn't you say anything?"

Jennie blinked in surprise, a small laugh escaping her as she smiled at Jisoo, "it seemed... I don't know, stupid to ask."

"Stupid?" Jisoo snorted, sounding amused, "you haven't been able to see a thing since we came in here! And I know that because I know all of my shutters are locked. Christ. Let me find a switch for you. I'm not even sure if the bulbs work - you're the first guest I've had here."

Feeling somewhat pleased that she was the only person to be invited into Jisoo's house, Jennie listened to her climb to her feet and go off in search of a light switch, letting out a triumphant shout a few minutes later when she found one, flicking it on and flooding the room with a yellow light that made Jennie's eyes water at the suddenness of it. "Thank you," Jennie muttered, lifting her glasses so that she could wipe at her streaming eyes.

Sitting back down, Jisoo sat back in her chair, which had her coat draped over the back of it, and Jennie smiled at the emerald green t-shirt she was wearing, embroidered with a yellow sunflower over the heart. They were quiet for a few moments before Jisoo gently cleared her throat, shifting slightly in her seat. "How come you haven't asked about me yet?"

Pausing for a moment, Jennie opened and closed her mouth, wondering whether she should ask Jisoo to be more specific about what she hadn't asked, but knowing that Jisoo was clearly talking about her blindness. She didn't want to be patronizing or play stupid, and so she gently sighed, pressing her lips together in a grim line as she breathed in the fruity smell of the wild berry tea. "It seemed rude to ask," Jennie admitted, "and none of my business. Besides, you haven't pried into my private life."

"I mean, I have a little," Jisoo said, giving her a sheepish look as she reached up to take her dark sunglasses off.

Jennie froze for a moment, finding herself shocked at the sight of Jisoo's eyes. She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting - perhaps closed eyes, or milky white irises, because that's how they always seemed to be in movies - but instead, they were a deep brown with a faded milky kind of blue pupil. A beautiful brown. She didn't know what to say, because Jisoo was staring at her so intently that Jennie felt sure that she was seeing her - really seeing her. Licking her lips, Jennie blinked a few times, finding herself spellbound by Jisoo's eyes. Loving the way that one of them was a little lighter than the other. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Jennie dropped her eyes to the purplish tea before her and quickly took a sip, feeling her cheeks warm slightly. She'd never had such a visceral reaction to anything before, and she quickly cleared her throat as she pushed her thoughts aside.

"I don't mind you asking questions," Jennie told her.

"Neither do I," Jisoo told her, that familiar half-smile curling her lips, and Jennie couldn't help but look back up at her eyes, checking to see if the smile reached them, and feeling her own lips curl up into a smile when she found that it did. Her eyes were sparkling with amusement.

Nervously tucking her hair behind her ears, Jennie ducked her head down again, tracing a fingernail along the wood grain pattern of the table. "Do people usually ask you?"

Letting out a sharp laugh, Jisoo raised her cup of tea to her lips, taking a quick sip and giving Jennie an amused look. "Oh yeah. All the time. Sometimes it's the first thing they ask. Strangers. Kids. Old people. And even when they don't ask, I can feel them wanting to. You don't give me that kind of vibe though. I feel like we could talk about everything else, and you'd still never ask."

Shrugging, Jennie smiled, "probably not."

"I wasn't always blind, you know," Jisoo told her, "but now I am. Completely. Not a lot of people are completely blind, even if they're blind, but I guess I got the short end of that stick. But still, it's not... dark. I know that sounds stupid, because I can't see, but I know what I'm seeing."

"So when I close my eyes and it's dark... that's not what you see?" Jennie tentatively asked.

Smiling, revealing the dimples in her cheeks, Jisoo shook her head. "No. Right now it's... turquoise... with little orange flecks. And now it's red- wait, brown. I get those stars and galaxies things, like when you rub your eyes too hard. I used to think I was going blind when I did that when I was little. Turns out you see that when you're blind too, so."

"Oh, I-I didn't know that," Jennie murmured, unsure of what else to say. She didn't want to pity Jisoo - she knew the other woman wouldn't appreciate it - and she didn't want to ask her how it had happened, because she still thought that it would be rude, especially when Jisoo had just said that she was always asked it by people she spoke to. Jennie had the feeling that that was one of the reasons why she avoided talking to people

"Yeah, not a lot of people really know about it," Jisoo said, grimacing slightly, "but I guess that it is the main thing people notice about me when they look at me. So I'm not really that bitter about them asking me. It's just a bit annoying."

Taking a sip of tea, Jennie smiled at the small crease between Jisoo's eyebrows, not mentioning the fact that a lot of people would probably notice her clothes before they noticed the white cane in her hands. "Well I know for me the first thing I noticed was a woman standing on the edge of a very steep cliff with very jagged rocks below. Took me a couple of meetings to even realize you were blind. I'll admit, I felt quite stupid afterwards."

Laughing, Jisoo wrinkled her nose as she flashed her teeth at Jennie, her cheeks dimpling at the wide smile on her face. "Yeah, I did think it was funny. I was secretly hoping we'd run into each other again just so I could see the look on your face - well, not look, but you get my meaning. I'm sure it was priceless."

"I'm not sure if I was more surprised about you being blind, or you being my mysterious piano player," Jennie grumbled, "although now that I think about it, I shouldn't even be surprised about that."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"Because you wouldn't even tell me your name!" Jennie exclaimed, letting out an exasperated laugh, "mysterious music girl and mysterious piano player... you'd think a reporter would be better at putting clues together."

Jisoo smiled, tilting her head to the side as she looked at Jennie, "mysterious, huh? I didn't realize I was being mysterious."

Fighting back a blush, Jennie ran her fingertip around the rim of her teacup, "I go jogging along the beach every evening, just when the sun's about to set. You're always playing around then, so I sit and stay until I know my mom will be home for dinner. I guess now I know why I didn't hear any when I saw you on the beach that day."

"Sorry for disappointing you," Jisoo smiled, a pleased look on her face, "sometimes I go and listen to the waves so I can come up with new songs."

"Wait, you compose those yourself?" Jennie incredulously asked, her eyebrows shooting up as she looked at Jisoo in disbelief.

Looking a little embarrassed, Jisoo gave her a self-conscious shrug, "I'm a composer."

"You're brilliant," Jennie breathlessly told her, "I've never heard anything like them."

Her pale cheeks gaining a little color as she blushed, Jisoo let her dark hair fall in her face, forming a curtain between her and Jennie. "Well, I've never played them for anyone, so I'm glad you think so."

"You've never- why?!" Jennie exclaimed, "they're amazing! Better than amazing. I could listen to you play all day. But how do you-"

Letting out a quiet chuckle, Jisoo raised her head, her eyes crinkling slightly at the corners as she smiled at Jennie, one corner of her mouth quirking up higher than the other. "How do I play if I'm blind? Any good piano player should be able to play and read sheet music at the same time. You shouldn't watch your fingers, you should know where the keys are, like how ballroom dancers shouldn't watch their feet. I guess it's a good thing I was already a prodigy at something that I could do blind."

"I guess now I know what you were listening for on that cliff," Jennie said, a wry smile on her lips at the memory of her thinking Jisoo was trying to jump.

"Mm, maybe I'll let you in on the song that I wrote that day," Jisoo told her, a teasing smile on her face as she arched an eyebrow, "but only for a price."

Unable to stop herself from smiling, Jennie found herself subconsciously leaning towards Jisoo, picking up on the tiny scar beneath her eyebrow, the unbidden question of how she got it flitting across her mind. "And what price is that?"

As if Jisoo was pulled towards her, she leant forward too, lowering her voice as if it was a secret between the two of them, "a story. You'd better make it good, storyteller."

Draining her tea, Jennie took Jisoo's empty cup and took them over to the sink, where she quickly washed them and left them to drain on the rack, before she wiped her hands on a dish towel and walked back over to Jisoo, who slowly climbed to her feet. Shoving her hands into her pockets, Jennie looked down at Jisoo, biting her lip as she smiled. "I'll be back with a story then, music girl," Jennie promised, "say... Saturday. If you're free."

"On Saturday then," Jisoo agreed, her face lighting up slightly, and Jennie couldn't help but feel warm at the prospect of something to look forward to.

Jisoo walked her down the dim hallway, and Jennie pulled open the door, stepping out into the bright sunlight. She turned around, hesitating as she gave Jisoo a shy smile, even knowing that the other woman couldn't see her. "Well, have a good day then. I'll see you on Saturday."

"Have a good day too," Jisoo told her, smirking slightly, "I'll play something nice at sunset for you."

Letting out a surprised laugh, Jennie shook her head, turning around and quickly walking down the front porch steps. She balanced her bike and climbed on it, shading her eyes as she looked at Jisoo, who was hovering in the doorway, and almost waved goodbye again, before catching herself. "Bye, music girl."

"Bye, storyteller."


End file.
